The two teams that have finished No. 1 in the High School Football America New Jersey Top 25 over the last two seasons are loaded heading into 2021.
2020 No. 1 Bergen Catholic has three of the top six players in the 247sports.com Composite Rankings for the Class of 2022. The Crusaders also have two of the top seven prospects in the Class of 2023.
2019 No. 1 and Non-Public Group 4 champ St. Peter’s Prep has six players in the Top 40 for the Class of ’22. The Marauders also have the No. 8 recruit in the Class of ’23.
USC-recruit Jaeden Gould is BC’s top recruit at No. 2 in the Garden State. The 4-star cornerback made his verbal commitment earlier this week.
Ran into some dead ends, re-routed made a way.#FightOn✌? pic.twitter.com/uKtkKY1QAh
— Jaeden Gould (@JaedenGould5) June 20, 2021
Gould is one of 18 returning starters for head coach Vito Campanile. The Crusaders finished No. 34 in the 2020-21 High School Football America 100 national rankings powered by NFL Play Football, the NFL’s initiative to provide fun and engaging experience for players of all ages and skill levels.
Below, Campanile talks about the upcoming 2021 season.
Related: High School Football America 100
On the other side of the ball, quarterback Steve Angeli will be handling the Crusaders’ offense. During last year’s COVID-19 shortened season, the Notre Dame-recruit threw for 945-yards, according to NJ.com.
Jayden Bellamy, at No. 6, gives Bergen Catholic a great secondary. Bellamy is a 3-star recruit with offers from 23 schools, including Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Penn State.
St. Peter’s top recruit is defensive lineman KJ Miles with 26 college scholarship offers. The 4-star has been an important cog in the Marauders’ defense since becoming a starter during his freshman season. Last year, he recorded 28 tackles, four sacks and forced one fumble.
The Marauders’ other top recruits — tight end Trent McGaughey is the state’s No. 9 recruit; cornerback Avery Powell is ranked No. 13; defensive lineman/linebacker Kenny Soares is ranked No. 20; offensive lineman Andre Oben, son of future NFL offensive lineman Roman Oben, is rated No. 29 in the Garden State; and safety Christian LaBrun is the No. 38 rated recruit.
The state’s No. 1 recruit is offensive tackle Jacob Allen of the Hun School.
247Sports.com Composite Rankings New Jersey Class of 2022
No. 1 Jacob Allen, OT – Hun School – Rutgers
No. 2 Jaeden Gould, CB – Bergen Catholic – USC
No. 3 Steve Angeli, QB – Bergen Catholic – Notre Dame
No. 4 KJ Miles, DL – St. Peter’s Prep – Uncommitted
No. 5 Amari Clark, WR – Woodrow Wilson (Camden) – Maryland
No. 6 Jayden Bellamy, CB – Bergen Catholic – Uncommitted
No. 7 Peter Delaportas, QB – Jefferson Twp. – Boston College
No. 8 Trent McGaughey, TE – St. Peter’s Prep – Uncommitted
No. 9 Kenny Fletcher, EDGE – Delran – Rutgers
No. 10 Devin Kargman, QB – Woodrow Wilson (Camden) – Uncommitted
No. 11 Davison Igbinosun, CB – Union – Uncommitted
No. 12 Sam Martin, Jr., RB – Paramus Catholic – Uncommitted
No. 13 Avery Powell, CB – St. Peter’s Prep – Uncommitted
No. 14 Nyair Graham, LB – Woodrow Wilson (Camden) – Maryland
No. 15 Q’yaeir Price, DL – DePaul Catholic (New Jersey) – Uncommitted
No. 16 Taj White, OT – Hudson Catholic – Rutgers
No. 17 A’Khoury Lyde, CB – DePaul Catholic – Wisconsin
No. 18 Alex Bauman, EDGE – Red Bank Catholic – Uncommitted
No. 19 Jojo Bermudez, WR – Cedar Creek – Rutgers
No 20 Kenny Soares, ATH – St. Peter’s Prep – Uncommitted
No. 21 Justin Evans-Jenkins, DL – Irvington – Uncommitted
No. 22 Donovan Leary, QB – Timber Creek – Illinois
No. 23 Joe De Croce, OT – Northern Valley – Rutgers
No. 24 Kyle Louis, ATH – East Orange – Uncommitted
No. 25 Nelson Monegro, OT – Union City – Rutgers
No. 26 Zion Cheeks, LB – Penns Grove – Cincinnati
No. 27 Owen Anderson, TE – Hun School – Illinois
No. 28 LeQuint Allen, RB – Millville – Syracuse
No. 29 Andre Oben, OT – St. Peter’s Prep – Purdue
No. 30 Denis Jaquez, EDGE – St. Augustine Prep – Northwestern
No. 31 Matt Fries, OT – Cranford – Uncommitted
No. 32 Marcus Johnson, EDGE – Woodrow Wilson (Camden) – Uncommitted
No. 33 Pat Caughey, TE – Delbarton – Uncommitted
No. 34 Kanye Udoh, RB – St. Augustine Prep – Uncommitted
No. 35 Nasir Hill, ATH – St. Augustine Prep – Uncommitted
No. 36 Nicholas Alvarado, S – Union City – Northern Illinois
No. 37 Vince Carpenter, OT – Red Bank Catholic – Uncommitted
No. 38 Christian LeBrun, S – St. Peter’s Prep – Uncommitted
No. 39 Damir McCrary, LB – Woodrow Wilson – Uncommitted
No. 40 Nazir Dale, ATH – Camden – Uncommitted
247Sports.com Composite Rankings New Jersey Class of 2023
No. 1 Chase Bisontis, OT – Don Bosco Prep – Uncommitted
No. 2 Ejani Shakir, WR – Pennsauken – Uncommitted
No. 3 Sydir Mitchell, DL – Bergen Catholic – Uncommitted
No. 4 Kahiil Ali, S – Pennsauken – Uncommitted
No. 5 JaSire Peterson, IOL – Union City – Rutgers
No. 6 Marco Lainez III, QB – Hun School – Uncommitted
No. 7 DJ Samuels, EDGE – Bergen Catholic – Uncommitted
No. 8 Eric King, IOL – St. Peter’s Prep – Uncommitted
No. 9 James Heard, LB – Eastern – Uncommitted
